Rock Island Today

The press secretary for the National Republican Congressional Committee is convinced the massive shakeup at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee that ended this week in the abrupt ousters of at least six senior level staffers is mostly a reflection of just one person.

"By throwing her staff under the bus, Cheri ‘Beltway’ Bustos has further proven she’s not up for the job," Michael McAdams told the Rock Island Today. "If Bustos can’t show leadership in this role, how can her constituents trust she’s doing what’s best for them, particularly when she’s spending all of her time in D.C. cleaning up the mess she created."

According to Politico, those who left included DCCC executive director Allison Jaslow, communications director Jared Smith, communications aide Melissa Smith, political director Molly Ritner, deputy executive director Nick Pancrazio and director of diversity Van Ornelas.

Even before the shakeup, Politico reports Bustos (D-Rock Island) was already under fire after having drawn the ire of Congressional Black Caucus and Congressional Hispanic Caucus members alike over perceptions she was "short-changing minorities by excluding them from her senior staff and failing to live up to promises she made during her campaign for the chairmanship."

Critics said Bustos simply surrounded herself with loyalists, some of whom may not have always been up to the job they were installed in.

Recently, even the veteran Congresswoman seemed to admit as much, along with allowing she hasn’t always done the best job possible.

"Today, I recognize that, at times, I have fallen short in leading these talented individuals,” Bustos said in a statement. “To my colleagues, who I have the upmost respect for, I hear your concerns, and we can and must do better."